27 October 2010

Haqq vs Convenience

Haqq vs Convenience…

It is narrated that when the law of Allah SWT was passed, that wine was haraam for us, and a man ran through the streets of Makkah yelling out aloud, telling the people about his law, those who were engaged at that very moment in drinking it, spat it out of their mouths immediately. Those who had any wine in their homes came out onto the street and began to throw their contents out into the streets, those who had it in glasses at one tossed the wine out of them. And that, my Brothers and Sisters was the END of Muslims consuming wine. Why? Because Allah SWT had commanded that it be so. Our Muslim Brothers and Sisters had such a strong connection to Islam, and their Rabb, and their Rasul, that they didn’t need a council to go out and conduct tests to establish JUST how harmful wine is, or JUST what quantity it needs to be present in, in the blood stream to actually intoxicate. They didn’t form groups amongst themselves that would slander the other group because they had emptied their glasses two minutes sooner, so they probably thought that they were nobler. They did not call each other names based on their facial expressions when the news was delivered. All they did was comply with Allah Most High’s Law. They stopped what they were doing and believed in Allah SWT’s wisdom.

Then there is the incident about the Niqaab or Khimar. Allah SWT revealed unto our Nabi SAW that the Believing Women should lower their gaze and guard their private parts and draw their veils over their bodies. When the Believing Women heard this, they tore the aprons from their bodies and covered their heads with it and of course later got more suitable covering garments. The point here is that they did not debate as to “why us”? or “Why don’t the men cover themselves?” or “It’s going to be too hot! We are in the dessert!” or “ Let’s take a last walk through the city to see if we can just get a few more men to look at us…” Believing Women of that time were so eager to please their Creator, they were so keen to obey the Messenger of Allah SWT and subscribe to the Wisdom of their Lord, they did not even have to think about what had been said. Does this make them stupid women? Women who were incapable of reasoning? Does this mean that our Mothers and the other Believing Women, the Sahaabia were incapable of possessing intelligence and making valuable contributions to the their community?

On the contrary, open a copy of Fazaa’i-“A-maal and you will read about the courageous actions, the kindness and gentleness, the absolute dedication to humanity that these women possessed. These are the women who have been assured a place in Jannat. Why then would we not follow their example? Is there any chance that we feel that the kind of behavior these women displayed is “out-dated”? Do we think that times have changed and there is no time to be gentle and kind and modest? Because it’s a dog-eat-dog world where modesty is for the Armish? Western “Civilisation” where abortions, prostitution, human trafficking are the order of the day, where women are clothed yet naked, where there are violent illnesses and addictions as a result or rampant pre and extra marital relations and a free-reign of drugs and alcohol.

Recently a Fatwa was passed by Ulama on the “haraam” status of smoking due to the presence of pig haemoglobin used in cigarette filters to make them more effective at trapping harmful substances. This is confirmed on a site http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100401/Cigarette-filters-contain-pige28099s-blood.aspx . How many Muslim smokers do you know who gave up smoking on the spot when they found this out? Do you know ANY who understood the huge repercussions of this fatwa? Did you see people tossing their cigarette into the nearest bin? Or breaking them up into bits so that no-one else could smoke them?

What do you think the Sahaaba would have done? Up until then smoking had only been seen as makrooh, based on the fact that is it harmful to your body, but this information shed new light on the subject, made it “haraam”. How did we respond?

A lot is being said lately about the haraam status of music. How do we ensure that we are protecting our families from the evil effects (hypocrisy) of listening to music? Have you see proud Mummies and Daddies saying to their two year olds “Dance for us?” “Show them how you can do Waka Waka”, “Show us how you shake your bums”… I am sad to say that I know such families and dare say to them “Music is actually haraam” and you will be told exactly where to get off. They will explain to you in no time that Hidaayat is from Allah and everyone changes in their own time. My question is: What about the child? If you don’t encourage it from early childhood, they wont have to change in their adult life because they will never have done it….

No-one, alive today is perfect. This is a fact. But Allah SWT, at the time of revealing the Qur’aan, and at the time of guiding our Nabi S.A.W. knew that you would be who you are, living where you are, with the parents, siblings, families, children you have. He knew that we would be in the part of the world that we are in. He knew that groceries and school fees would be expensive. Allah Most High knew that the lousy French Government would ban Hijaab, and that the Filthy Jews and the State of Israel would be killing our Muslim brethren, Allah Most merciful knew that the Kuffaar would mock us and make light of His Deen… But Allah SWT did not tell us that it was ok to tweak and modify his perfect Word, all he asked was that we abide by it, and the reward would be Jannat – eternal life in a most perfect, unimagined, beautiful, peaceful, welcoming abode…

We can make excuses, we can defend our actions, we can even go to great lengths to explain why our situation is different. At the end of it all we have to own up to the fact ath Allah SWT is All Knowing, Perfect, The Guide and All Wise… we are nothing without Him. We use of his Bounties without any shame and expect to be able to just do as we please.

Let us wake up. Our death is looking for us.

Allah guide us all and make us of the Humble Servants who will hold on to His Word until the end. Aameen Yaa Rabbul Aalameen.